And hopedale



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. C. BROOKS.

LOOM

No. 596,441. Patented Dec. 28,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

JOHN C. BROOKS, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE DRAPER COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, AND I-IOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,441, dated December 28, 1897.

Application filed June 3, 1897. Serial No. 639,222. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/. 7

Be it known that 1, JOHN QBROQKS, ofPaterson, county of Passaic, State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention in looms has for its object to provide a novel means for automatically stopping the loom when the filling on the bobbin or filling-carrier contained in the shuttle has been exhausted to a predetermined extent. By my invention when the filling on the filling-carrier has been exhausted to such an extent that it will be likely to run out at anytime during the next few picks the loom may be automatically stopped by the operation of a feeler mounted independently of the shuttle, but adapted to enter a slot therein each time the shuttle arrives opposite the feeler, the latter having a variable movement, according to the amount of filling present, the exhaustion thereof to a predetermined extent permitting sufiicient movement of the feeler to operate through suitable mechanism to stop the loom. The operator may then insert a new filling-carrier before the old one has been entirely exhausted and thereby guard against the imperfection above referred to, or, if desired, the filling-carrier may be ejected from operative position automatically, as in the well-known Northrop loomsuch, for instance, as shown in United States Patent No. 529, 940,dated November 27,1894- when the filling has been exhausted to a predetermined extent and a fresh filling-carrier substituted therefor.

In the drawings illustrating one embodiment of my invention, Figure 1, in top or plan view, partial section, shows one end of a portion of the loom-frame with the adjacent end of the lay, shuttle-box, and cooperating parts, and a shuttle in position in the shuttle-box. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the mechanismshown in Figs. 1 and 2, the lay being back; Fig. 4, a detail showing a fillingcarrier or bobbin adapted for use in connection with my invention; Figs. 5 and 6, top and edge views, respectively, of the modified form of device for use in connection with my invention. Fig. 7 is a top or plan view of one end of a portion of the loom-frame, showing the shuttle in operative connection with a modified form of feeler-guide before the shuttle has reached the end of its path of move ment; and Fig. Sis a similar view, the shuttle, however, having completed its throw and with the opening for the feeler uncovered, the guide being in such position as to bring the end of the feeler opposite the proper part of the 'fillin g-carrier.

Referring to the drawings, in the embodiment of my invention therein illustrated the loom-frame A, breast-beam A, the lay L, the usual shuttle-box Z and shuttle-binder l, with its actuating-spring Z the picker-stick p, shipper s, and slotted holding-plate 8 therefor are and may be of usual or desired construction so far as. concerns my present invention.

The filling-carrier b of the shuttle B is shown as provided with a suitable depression Z) of slight depth,preferably in its conical base portion, over which the filling-thread is wound, so

that when the carrier is filled the said depression is entirely concealed or covered, and opposite this depression I) in the filling-carrier, when in operative position in the shuttle, a hole or slot B is made in the side wall of the shuttle. (See dotted lines, Fig. 1.)

The inner side wall of the shuttle-box is provided with a slot 1)? for the reception of an inwardly-extended feeler or finger b loosely jointed at its rear end to the upper and herein slotted end of a feeler-lever b fulcrumed on a rockshaft 11 mounted in brackets I), carried by the lay, the rock-shaft having fast thereon a depending arm bhnormally resting upon the downwardly-inclined upper face of an arm a of a knock-off lever c, fulcrumed at c on the loom-frame. The knock-oft lever c is normally held by gravity in position shown in Fig. 3 against a suitable stop 0 the upper end of said lever being bentoutwardly, as at c ,wherebymovement of the lever to the left, Fig. 3, will cause said bent end 0 to engage the shipper s and move the same laterally to disengage it from the usual holding-notch in the slot of the plate 8, as in Figs. 1 and'2, to enable said shipper to move to stop the loom.

In the normal operation of the loom at each forward beat of the lay the rocker-arm 12 by the movement of the feeler-carrying lever b moves down the inclined top surface of the arm 0 of the knock-off lever,actuated by gravity or by any other suitable or desired means, such downward movement of the rockerarm causing the upper slotted end of the lever 79 to move the feeler b inwardly through the slot 11* in the wall of the shuttle-box and through the corresponding slot 6 in the side of the shuttle,when the latter is properly entered in the shuttle-box, until the end of said feeler abuts against the body of the filling upon the filling-carrier within the shuttle, when further swinging movement of said lever 12 and the rock-shaft b is stopped, the rocker-arm I) being maintained in such an elevated position that during the further forward movement of the lay it will clear the abutment or shoulder 5 on the arm 0, referred to. If, however, the shuttle thrown into the shuttle-box contains a filling-carrier the fillin g on which is nearly exhausted, sufficiently so to uncover the depression I) in the said filling-carrier, then there will be no obstruction to the further inward movement of the feeler b and it will be moved inwardly to some point within or to the bottom of said depression 1), or to such an extent as will permit the continued falling movement of the rockerarm 1)", controlled by the carrier-lever as it traverses the downwardly-inclined surface of the. arm a, permitting said rock-arm b to engage the abutment or shoulder 5, and during the further forward movement of the lay pushing before it the knock-off lever c, causing its free end 0 to knock off the shipper and stop the loom.

In winding a filling-carrier the winding is usually commenced at the top of the inclined portion of the enlarged basethat is, at the point where the inclined or tapering base portion meets the parallel or spindle portion-so that as the filling on the carrier approaches the final exhaustion-point the depression I) is uncovered before allthe filling is exhausted, thereby insuring the stopping of the loom and a change of filling-carriers before the filling has been exhausted to such an extent as would render it liable to give out during the shot of the shuttle through the shed. The depth of the depression in the filling-carrier is so slight that the pressure of the incoming filling-carrier upon the one to be ejected would easily move the latter past the point of the feeler without any derangement of the parts. The depth of the slot shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is much greater than would be used when employing automatic filling-changing mechanism, the slot or depression tending to greater accuracy in the operation of the feeler.

It frequently happens that the shuttle after entering the shuttle-box rebounds to a greater or less extent, or does not always reach the same final position at rest therein, and since it is desirable that the feeler-finger b shall always move opposite the depression in the bobbin to insure accuracy of operation and prevent breakage I have provided a feelerguide cl, transversely slotted, for the reception of the holding and guide screw 01, tapped into the side wall of the shuttle-box, said guide at its inner end,-at the left, Fig. 1, being provided with a boss containing an inwardly-converging opening (1 through which the feeler is extended, and at its opposite or outer end, Fig. 1, the said guide is provided with an overturned end d which lies directly in the path and at the rear of the picker-stick A spring d, secured to the lay, acts against the boss referred to to move the guide at always and normally to the left, Fig. l, the extent of such movement being limited by contact of the end of the slot with the screw (1. The guide thus keeps the feeler b normally in a position to be opposite the depression of the filling-carrier in the shuttle when the latter is not thrown completely home. When the shuttle is properly positioned in the shuttle-box, its end engages the pickerstick p and pushes the latter in advance of it, the picker-stick in turn engaging the end 01 of the guide, carrying the latter along with the shuttle, so that when the feeler is subsequently moved inwardly through the guide it is directed toward the depression in the filling-carrier in the shuttle. The pivotal mounting of the feeler has such looseness or flexibility as will enable the feeler to be guided more or less in one or the other direction by the converging walls of the guide to direct the end of said feeler always toward the proper portion of the filling-carrier. After stoppage of the loom the parts automatically resume their proper positions when the loom is again started.

In most looms to which my invention is applicable a single shuttle only is used, and since the shipper is arranged at one side of the loom only some means must be provided to prevent knocking off of the shipper at every other pick during the absence of the shuttle from the end of the loom adjacent the shipper. This I provide for, among other ways, by the mechanism best shown in Fig. 3, where the usual cam-shaft e, which makes but a single rotation for every two beats of the lay, is provided with an eccentric or cam e, acting upon one arm of a bell-crank lever e fulcrumed at 6 and provided at its opposite end with a table 6 which as the lever is rocked by the cam moves into such position adjacent the shoulder 5 of the arm 0 that the overlying lower end 12 of the rocker-arm I) as it rides down the incline of the said arm 0 will strike the said table 6 and be diverted upwardly to clear the shoulder 5 and thereby avoid knocking off the shipper and stopping the loom; but at the next beat of the lay the rotation of the cam-shaft turns the table 6 down into its position, Fig. 3, where it does not intercept the movement of the end of the rocker-arm 12 but permits the latter, if the filling be ex- I Op hausted or nearly so, to engage the shoulder 5 and stop the loom, as described.

In Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 I have shown a modified construction of means for preventing the stopping of the loom when the shuttle is at the opposite end of the lay. Referring to said Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, the guide d, at its inner face, is provided with a groove for the reception of the plate al having aninturned end d parallel with and in front of the overturned end 01 of the guide, a spring 01 Fig. 6, connecting the guide and plate (1 normally tending to move the latter to the left in said figures, so that its end will close the tapered opening through the boss of the guide. When the shuttle is at the opposite end of the lay, the spring 01 will hold the plate (1 in position, closing the guide-opening d and thereby preventing the feeler from moving inwardly to such an extent as would effect the stopping of the loom; but when the shuttle is thrown into the shuttle-box adjacent the shipper it strikes the picker-stick and pushes it to its extreme outermost position, the movement of the picker-stick first acting through the end d to move the plate (1 to the right, Fig. 7, to uncover the opening in the boss of the guide and thereafter moves both the plate and the guide together to the right to such extent as may be necessary to bring the end of the feeler opposite the portion of the filling-carrier containing the depression I), as

in Fig. 8, so that should the filling be nearly exhausted the feeler would detect the same and stop the loom.

When the parts above described are employed in connection with a loom provided with automatic filling-supplying mechanismsuch, for instance, as in the Northrop type of loom-the feeler-finger b instead of being connected with the stopping mechanism for the loom will be connected in suitable manner with the filling-changing mechanism to cause the insertion of a fresh filling-carrier when the one in use becomes nearly or quite exhausted; but as such use of my invention Wouldbe readily apparent to the skilled mechanic, together with the necessary changes of parts to make the change in use, I have not deemed it necessary to herein illustrate the same in detail.

Myinvention of course is not limited to its constructional details, nor to the embodiments herein shown, as the same may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

1 do not broadly claim herein a shuttle containing a filling-carrier and having a slotted side, a feeler mounted independently of the shuttle, and means to move the feeler in a lateral plane to enter the slot in the shuttle and cooperate with the filling, nor do I claim, broadly, such mechanism when operatively arranged in connection with filling-changing mechanism governed as to its operation by the feeler and at the same side of the loom, whereby said fillin g-changing mechanism will operate upon exhaustion of the filling to a predetermined extent, nor do I broadly claim the detecting movement of the feeler and its cooperation with the filling only when the shuttle is properly positioned in the shuttlebox, and I do not broadly claim filling-chang ing mechanism cooperating with one shuttle box on the lay and a feeler to detect the volume of filling in the shuttle when the latter is in the shuttle-box in which it shall receive a fresh supply of filling at the time indicated by. the feeler, as such construction is not broadly of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a loom, the combination with a lay, a shuttle-box, a shuttle having a slot and provided with a filling-carrier having a depression, a feeler carried independently of the shuttle and arranged to enter the shuttle-slot and cooperate with the filling at or over the depression in the carrier, and means to operate the feeler, of stopping mechanism for the loom controlled by said feeler, substantially as described.

2. In a loom,the combination with a shuttlebox and shuttle containing a filling-carrier, of a feeler carried independently of the said shuttle and arranged to cooperate with the supply of filling in the shuttle, means to operate the feeler, and means actuated by said shuttle to vary the location of the said feeler according to the final position which the said shuttle may reach, substantially as described.

3. In a loom, the combination with a lay, a shuttle-box, a shuttle, and its bobbin, of a filling-feeler, means to operate it, and a movable guide controlled by the shuttle, to vary the location of the feeler, substantially as described.

4. In a loom, the combination with a lay, a shuttle-box, and a shuttle containing a supply of filling, of a filling-feeler, means to operate it, stopping mechanism for the loom connected with and to be controlled as to its operation by said feeler, and means to limit the effective operation of the said feeler to the beats of the lay when the shuttle is at the end of the loom adjacent said feeler, substantially as described.

5. In a loom, the combination with a lay, a shuttle-box and shuttle, of a filling-feeler, means to operate it, stopping mechanism for the loom connected with and controlled by said feeler, and means to automatically render said feeler effectively inoperative during a part of the operation of the loom, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN C. BROOKS. 

